CRAZY FOR AÇAÍ BOWLS

Açaí is a super fruit from the Amazon known for it's purple colour and the fact that it's packed with a truck load of antioxidants, omega fatty acids, fibre and more.

Before I get started there's a few things you need to know, but mainly that this is not for the light hearted, on a budget, throw some "stuff" in a blender and run out the door kinda' person. It's messy, can be on the slightly pricey end of the budget (if you hadn't noticed, we don't live in the Amazon, so the açaí berries need to be packaged and sent to our wee corner of the globe for us to enjoy!) and takes time to get the texture right, that's the tricky part - but completely worth the effort and perfect for summer mornings.

What you'll need to create this blend of thick, frosty, purple goodness:

1/4 cup of rolled oats or your favourite granola (awesome old guy at the Lyttelton markets has a stall you should check out for your oats and granola needs).

1/2 banana (fresh)

2 strawberries (fresh)

2 tsp of chia seeds

1 tbsp of shredded coconut

1 tbsp of shaved almonds

1 tbsp of hulled sesame seeds

Method:

Step um: Let the açài thaw slightly (try running it under warm water to save time), place this along with the frozen fruit you've selected, (these don't necessarily have to be same for same), the Limitless Empower Natural Protein Blend and coconut water into a blender - any old blender should do the trick, I picked mine up from Briscoe's for $30.00. Yes, there was a slight happy dance taking place in the middle of Briscoe's Riccarton not so long ago.

Step dois: You should be able to spoon the mixture into a bowl (try putting the bowl in the fridge to chill first, this will prevent the mixture melting too quickly). If you have accidentally made it too runny, throw some more fruit or protein in and re-blend to help thicken it.

Step très: Once you've managed to get the mixture right and spooned into your chilled bowl, top it off with your chosen toppings. You don't need to use the same as what I chose, I just happened to have these items sitting at the back of my pantry gathering dust. Try adding dried cranberries, goji berries, raspberries, blueberries or any other fruit to can possibly think of - perfect opportunity to use up anything you might have neglected to use from another recipe.

Serves: 1 but if you're like me, this could very easily satisfy the hunger of 2, BONUS! It had me feeling full for a good part of my Saturday last weekend.

Safe to say this was the yummiest breakfast ever and bonus points in the fact that it had me feeling great all day and is super good for you! - I got so carried away with it, I completely forgot my about my morning coffee.

Tips:

Pick up a box açaí sachets at your local whole foods store. If you're in Christchurch, I found mine, along with the shredded coconut at Piko Wholefoods on Barbados Street. Other toppings (almonds, sesame seeds, chia seeds) can be found at Guruji Indian Supermarket on Gasson Street (the place to find anything from seeds to dried fruits and flour at a cheap price).

Remember, when blending the ingredients, you can always add more to the mix but you can't take it back. I suggest adding the liquids parts at a time to help get the exact consistency you like.